The invention relates to a method of assembling a component by means of a fastening clip as well as to a fastening clip.
Fastening clips are used to fix attachment parts to a vehicle body in a quick and reliable manner. The fastening clip, for instance, comprises a latching portion which is inserted in a vehicular opening and latches in place therein, and a head element which is inserted in the latching portion. The component to be fastened (e.g. a lining part or a gas bag module) is either directly fixed by means of the latching portion, for instance if the latter is realized as a fastening clamp, or to a body provided on the latching portion, for instance the latter is realized as a dowel. The component to be fastened may also be connected to the head element.
With a fastening clip realized in two pieces, the latching portion and the head element are provided with complementary latching elements which are made to engage each other by an insertion movement. In the inserted final mounting position, the head element also prevents that the latching portion can be withdrawn again from the opening of the vehicle body.
For easier processing, it is known to pre-fix the latching portion and the head element to each other in a preliminary mounting position so that the fastening clip can be handled in the form of one single component. In the preliminary mounting position, the latching portion can be inserted in the opening on the vehicle body, and the component to be fastened can be fixed to the fastening clip. For the final fixing of the fastening clip to the vehicle body, the head element is transferred from its preliminary mounting position to the final mounting position.
In case the fastening clip is realized in one piece, the latching portion and the head element are integrally connected to each other. The head element is loaded in the direction of insertion in order to latch the latching portion in the opening.
In this case, the preliminary mounting position corresponds to a position in which the latching portion is not yet inserted in the opening or not yet fully inserted therein.
Fastening clips of this type are installed in the vehicle in larger numbers and in many instances at places which are poorly accessible. An evidence for the fact that all the fastening clips have been correctly locked in the final mounting position is desirable but expensive.
It is the object of the invention to allow a documentation of the correct fastening of a fastening clip in a simple manner.